Two of the big men of the 2006 Clermont County high school football season will be on their way to compete on the collegiate level for West Virginia Wesleyan (WVW) College this summer. The WVW Bobcats are members of the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Ryan Giltz and Ben Dulle formed one side of the Goshen Warriors’ impressively powerful offensive line to the tune of being 575 pounds combined. Both were Southern Buckeye Conference (SBC) American Division all-stars and were Division II all-Southwest District selections. Giltz, one of the SBC’s players of the year (the other was Clermont Northeastern senior running back Danny Loch), was also a member of the all-state squad.

Giltz, a 6-feet, 3-inch, 295-pound strong-side guard, played four years of football at Goshen and earned three varsity letters. By the time he graduates he will have lettered four years in both wrestling and track and field.

With all of his activities in sports he does find the time to be a senior mentor. He plans to major in criminal justice at the Buckhannon, W. Va., school.

Dulle, a 6-feet, 4-inch, 200-pound strong-side tackle, played four years of football for the Warriors and earned three varsity letters and, in addition, earned two letters in track and field and also competed in baseball. He is an honor roll student who is also an Eagle Scout and has received scholar-athlete awards. He also plans to major in criminal justice.

"My mom and dad (Mary Ellen Giltz and Russell) and coach (Mark) Slagle and coach (Shane) Wellman pushed me and supported me," said Giltz of people for whom he is grateful for helping in the success of his education and athletic career.

"Coach Slagle helped me out a lot because he trusted me...coach Wellman helped me by being my (weight) lifting partner... My mom and dad (Jin Hui and Alan Dulle) got me started playing football when I was five," said Dulle, a grateful athlete and son.

Giltz recalls one senior year football game as a highlight of his superb high school athletic career. "The Blanchester game this year was crazy. What an adrenaline rush! It was an important game I'll never forget."

Mary Ellen Giltz said, "I'm pleased with Ryan's choice of college after having gone through all of his options."

"I'm unbelievably pleased with the coaching staff at (West Virginia Wesleyan)," said Alan Dulle. "A big selling point was that Ben and Ryan were included together. I feel more comfortable with that."

"I'm very happy with Ben's choice. I am very proud of him," said Jin Hui Dulle.

"The area where the school is reminds me of Goshen," said Giltz of one of his reasons for choosing WVW.

"I really like their head football coach (Bill Struble)," said Dulle in explaining a major reason he chose to attend the West Virginia college.

The dynamic duo is pleased with what their senior class has achieved for the Goshen High School athletic program, in general, and football, in particular.

"We were the turning point in football and in the SBC for Goshen," said Dulle.

"I'm proud that we helped get Goshen's football program turned around to winning again," Giltz said.

Slagle has been Goshen's head football coach throughout the twosome's prep career. He said, "Ben is a really good kid and a great student. He has worked very hard the last four years to make himself into a good football player. I have always been impressed with his work ethic.

"Ryan has shown great potential in football, wrestling, and track. I've felt for a long time he could play college football at the (West Virginia Wesleyan) level. They have good football there. I think he'll be an outstanding college lineman. He was vital to the success of our program.

"Dulle and Giltz made our offense very tough to stop. There was almost 600 pounds total on that one side of the line. I'm certainly going to miss both of them."